Examining Constitutional Changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Hampering the Europeanization Process?

Without doubt a long-lasting status quo regarding the constitutional changes in the post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina has become one of the most triggering and challenging political questions the country has been grappling with for so long. Different political interests and views of the three biggest ethnic communities in Bosnia on the future country's constitutional framework have prevented them to reach a viable agreement. Thus, it has become na ve to expect that domestic political elites on their own will reach an agreement on the constitutional reforms. Nevertheless, the European Union has repeatedly been sending the messages and statements that constitutional changes must be agreed by Bosnian politicians alone. Also, while the EU politicians have often pointed out that Bosnia cannot realize its EU membership aspirations if it does not make some sort of modifications on its constitution, most of them have not clearly stressed what are the concrete constitutional changes which the Bosnian politicians have to implement. As a result, unclear and ambiguous position of the EU member states on necessary and sufficient changes on the Bosnian constitution has further deepened a political deadlock in Bosnia.